Deep in the Heart of... West Virginia

Our day started with a minor crisis: Just as we were ready to leave, Chris realised he couldn't find the key to our motorbike. We searched all our pockets, then the room, then took the bags off the bike and went through them all. Twice. No luck...

We checked the room where we had breakfast, but they weren't there. By this stage our house maid and the hotel manager were also involved in the search.

Eventually it dawned on Chris that the last time he had used the key, he was wearing his shorts. Sure enough, the key was in the pocket.

Wanda has resorted to placing her coat under the shower in the morning. This keeps her cool until lunch time. When it has dried out she finds a tap in the rest rooms. It makes life much more comfortable at 90 F.

After the delayed start we were not overly unhappy to have to take Interstate 64 west to Lewisburg, 73 miles away. At the freeway speeds we quickly put the miles under our wheels, and were there in about an hour.                                       A couple of riders going our way.  

We turned north towards Mill Point on WV 219 and discovered a perfect riding road - fast, open and with almost no other traffic.

We stopped in Hillboro - just a mile before Mill Point - for lunch. The Pretty Penny Cafe have fresh, fried zucchini wedges. Unusual and delicious.

From Mill Point we turned west again and headed into Summersville, a rather forgettable place, suffocating in the airlessness of the recession. The lack of trees made it hot. The traffic was heavy. The surrounding countryside is much cooler. A delightful ride for most of the day.

We were pleased to get away from there as we rode out on WV 15. At Webster Springs we stopped for drinks and found a small bar hiding in a corner of the town. There was a raucous but really friendly crowd there, and we enjoyed a beer while talking about our ride and watching a little pool.

The Corner Tavern

Leaving there we took WV 20 and then WV 15 to reach Sutton where we planned to stay there for the night. The chain motel 4 miles outside of town was beyond our budget. We rode into Sutton and found a comfortable Ma and Pa motel. It had a few seats out the front which encourages socializing.
The Elk Motor Court:

There was a diner next door, and we were treated to steaks for under $10 each - and they were pretty good,too! The cook enjoyed meeting the customers and making sure they were happy with their meal.

During the evening we met a few other bikers. We chatted, blogged and enjoyed the cool evening air.

For the record, Sutton is at the geographical centre of West Virginia.